223 



ledge of its manners is confined to the taking a few of them on the wing. 

 He also goes on to say, this may not be a distinct species, but merely a variety 

 in the white markings of its wings. It is described by Haworth as Lava- 

 tem, and figured as such by "Newman. It has been taken in Dorsetshire and 

 other parts of the south of England, but is considered to be very rare. A 

 still more extreme form of this variety is figured in Moseley's " Illustrations," 

 from a specimen in the collection of Mr. Howard Yaughan, and called Taras, 

 Meig. Both these later names apparently represent the same form, which 

 Kirby calls Fritillum, W.Y. 



Both the type and the variety are subject to still other variations ; the 

 former frequently occurs with all the spots on the anterior wings very minute, 

 while those on the posterior are remarkably large, and vice versa. Again, 

 the variety occurs with the upper wings nearly all whitish or cream-coloured, 

 with a single whitish spot alone in the centre of posterior, while others have 

 a central and marginal fascia of spots. 



In Mr. Stephen's collection was a specimen having the character of Alve- 

 olus on the anterior wing, and of Lavatera on the other ; and he also pre- 

 served a series gradually varying from the confluent to the simple spots on 

 all the wings. Another named variety, Melotis, Dup., occurring in Syria, is 

 larger, and has the hind-wings all white on the underside. 



The egg is globular, with base rather flattened ; the shell ribbed rather 

 irregularly with about eighteen ribs, and transversly reticulated with very 

 even fine lines : the colour is a very fine pale green all over. 



The young caterpillar makes its escape by cutting a large round hole 

 through the top of the egg ; in colour it is very pale green, with a shining 

 black head. When full-grown, the length is rather over five-eighths of an 

 inch, the figure very stout, the head horny, globular, and stuck like a knob 

 on the second segment, which however, is not so strikingly narrow as in 

 Nisoniades tages ; the skin granulated in appearance, the head and whole body 

 covered with short fine pale hairs ; the general colour a pale ochreous green, 

 the second segment pink, the lines faintly darker than the ground colour ; 

 the head dark brown. — (Mr. W. Buckler). It feeds on the barren straw- 

 berry (Potentilla fragariasirum), the wood strawberry, the raspberry, and the 

 bramble. 



The chrysalis is enclosed in a case between two or three leaves, similar to 

 that in which the caterpillar lives, but fastened with stouter silk, and the 

 openings protected by a loose pale yellow webbing. Its length is not quite 

 half an inch, the figure thick and stumpy ; the eyes prominent ; the wing 

 cases well developed ; the whole skin rather rough, set with short stiff hairs 

 of a light brownish red ; the ground colour is a reddish grey, on which are 



